1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to preparations containing L-carnitine for oral use in the form of tablets, capsules or powder.
2. Background Art
L-carnitine plays an important role in lipometabolism and is used especially in food for athletes, but also for the treatment of diseases with metabolic disorders. Athletic food preparations containing L-carnitine are widely used, since they contribute significantly to supplying the muscles with energy and promote endurance performance. Such preparations have great importance since they improve muscle activity and thereby bring about increased endurance and stress tolerance as well as delaying fatigue and shortening recovery time. However, the use of preparations containing L-carnitine is not limited to food for athletes, as they can also be used for geriatric purposes and as general food additives.
Thus, the application can basically take place both enterally and parenterally. For the preferred enteral, i.e., oral, application, suitable forms of administration, preferably in the form of tablets or capsules, optionally also in the form of powder or granulate, are thus necessary. Here the production takes place according to methods of pharmaceutical technology, independently of whether the form of administration is to serve for food purposes or therapeutic purposes. The production and handling of such forms of administration up to now have been made considerably more difficult because of the high hygroscopicity of L-carnitine. Thus, for example, tablets that contain L-carnitine must be produced with the exclusion of moisture and must be packaged hermetically and individually, since they would begin to liquefy in a short time even with the normal moisture in the air. Moreover, L-carnitine often contains traces of trimethylamine, which, because of its fishy odor, has a repulsive effect on the user.